Strachan hoping for luck

Gordon Strachan admits his Boro side will need luck with injuries if they are to reach the play-offs.

Last Updated: 15/02/10 5:22pm

Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan admits his side will need luck with injuries if they are to reach the play-offs.

Boro have been beset with problems in recent weeks and Tony McMahon is the latest casualty after being diagnosed with a broken foot.

Despite their injury struggles, Strachan has guided Boro to six games undefeated and confidence is high despite the busy treatment room.

"We are short in areas, against Ipswich we had two full-backs in midfield and against Peterborough we tried to make a striker into a wide midfielder, and young Josh [Walker] hasn't had a game for a while so we need all the boys back," he told Sky Sports News.

"And even then we would only have five to six midfield players so we are a bit short, and we have to be lucky there and if we are lucky and get to the play-offs then we would have been on a run."

McMahon blow

McMahon is the latest casualty, but Strachan hopes to have Gary O'Neil and Emanuel Pogatetz back in time for the trip to Blackpool on Tuesday.

"It's a blow for Tony and another blow for the squad, but now we know what we're dealing with," he said.

"You wonder when it is all going to come to an end. In the last three months we have had one injury after another.

"It doesn't help you trying to put a run of results together when you are making changes from one match to the next.

"But it's something we have learned to deal with, and hopefully we will have some good news tomorrow with a couple of players coming back.

"O'Neil and Pogatetz are huge players for us. We saw how much we missed them on Saturday."